SECTION XCVII
"Yudhishthira said, 'O foremost one of Bharata's race, do thou relate to
me all the duties of the household mode and tell me all that a man should
do in order to attain to prosperity in this world.'
"Bhishma said, 'O Bharata, I shall, in this connection, recite to thee
the old story of Vasudeva and the goddess Earth, The puissant Vasudeva. O
excellent prince of Bharata's race, after hymning the praises of the
goddess Earth, questioned her about this very topic that thou hast
enquired about.'
"Vasudeva said, 'Having adopted the state of a householder, what acts
should I, or one like me, perform and how are such acts to fructify in
good?'"
"The goddess Earth said, 'O Madhava, the Rishis, the deities, the Pitris,
and men should be worshipped, and sacrifices should be performed, by a
householder. Do thou also learn this from me that the deities are always
pleased with sacrifices, and men are gratified with hospitality.
Therefore, the householder should gratify them with such objects as they
desire. By such acts, O slayer of Madhu, the Rishis also are gratified.
The householder, abstaining from food, should daily attend to his sacred
fire and to his sacrificial offerings. The deities, O slayer of Madhu,
are gratified with such acts. The householder should daily offer
oblations of food and water, or of fruits, roots and water, for the
gratification of the Pitris, and the Vaiswadeva offering should be
performed with rice boiled, and oblations of clarified butter unto Agni,
Soma, and Dhanwantari. He should offer separate and distinct oblations
unto Prajapati. He should make sacrificial offerings in due order; to
Yama in the Southern region, to Varuna in Western region, to Soma in the
Northern region, to Prajapati within the homestead, to Dhanwantari in the
North-eastern region, and to Indra in the Eastern region. He should offer
food to men at the entrance of his house. These, O Madhava, are known as
the Vali offerings. The Vali should be offered to the Maruts and the
deities in the interior of one's house. To the Viswedevas it should be
offered in open air, and to the Rakshasas and spirits the offerings
should be made at night. After making these offerings, the householder
should make offerings unto Brahmanas, and if no Brahmana be present, the
first portion of the food should be thrown into the fire. When a man
desires to offer Sraddha to his ancestors, he should, when the Sraddha
ceremony is concluded, gratify his ancestors and then make the Vali
offerings in due order. He should then make offerings unto the
Viswedevas. He should next invite Brahmanas and then properly regale
guests arrived at his house, with food. By this act, O prince, are guests
gratified. He who does not stay in the house long, or, having come, goes
away after a short time, is called a guest. To his preceptor, to his
father, to his friend and to a guest, a householder should say, 'I have
got this in my house to offer thee today!' And he should offer it
accordingly every day. The householder should do whatever they would ask
him to do. This is the established usage. The householder, O Krishna,
should take his food last of all after having offered food to all of
them. The householder should worship, with offerings of Madhuparka his
king, his priest, his preceptor, and his father-in-law as also Snataka
Brahmanas even if they were to stay in his house for a whole year. In the
morning as well as in the evening, food should be offered on the ground
to dogs, Swapachas,[438] and birds. This is called the Vaiswadeva
offering. The householder, who performs these ceremonies with a mind
unclouded by passion, obtains the blessings of the Rishis in this world,
and after death attains to the heavenly regions.'"
"Bhishma continued, "The puissant Vasudeva, having listened to all this
from the goddess Earth, acted accordingly. Do thou also act in the same
way. By performing these duties of a householder, O king, thou shalt
acquire fame in this world and attain to heaven after death!'"
